Photos from Our World

"Le Cap": Cap Haïtien on Haiti's north coast

Cap-Haïtien or "Le Cap", as it is also called, was founded in 1670 and today a city of about 180,000 people on the north coast of Haiti, the capital of the Nord Department. Its local name in Kréyòl is "Kapayisyen" or "Okap". During the French colonial period it was an important city and known as Cap-Français. Its name was changed to Cap-Henri when it became the capital of the short-lived Kingdom of Northern Haiti under King Henri Christophe.

The central area of the city is located between the Bay of Cap-Haïtien to the east, and nearby mountainsides to the west. During the American occupation of the country from 1915 - 1934, central Cap-Haïtien's north-south streets were, in American fashion, named as single letters (beginning with Rue A, a major avenue), and its east-west streets with numbers. There are many markets, churches, and low-rise apartment buildings, many with balconies on the upper floors overlooking the narrow streets below. French colonial architecture housing shops and restaurants line the downtown streets, and there is a wide promenade along the bay offering a nice view and sea air.

Cap-Haïtien is the gateway to the historic town of Milot, about 20 km to the south west, with its Citadel.

	View to Cap Haïtien	Cap Haïtien waterfront	Charcoal market, Cap Haïtien	Shopping street
	Town Hall	Market of Cap Haïtien	Market women	Independence statue
	Souvenir sales	Market building	Cave and palace ruins	Along the coast

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